REPORT OF COMMISSIONER OF FISH AND FISHERIES. CLXXIII 



been entirely abandoned by American vessels on the fanioas old grounds 

 in the Pacific and Indian oceans. The great bulk of the other whale 

 oil and of the bone was landed at San Francisco, although the high 

 price of bone was an incentive to vessels on the east coast to seek 

 right whales, and a fair stock of bone was taken. The smaller vessels 

 of the -Atlantic coast that engage in shore whaling off the South Atlan- 

 tic States and elsewhere had a satisfactory season. This branch of 

 the fishery has, during the j^ast two or three years, seemed to show 

 evidences of growth. The principal whaling groiinds now frequented 

 by American vessels are the IS'orth Pacific and Arctic oceans, although 

 a small licet from ISTew Bedford and other Xew England ports still 

 resort to the old grounds in the Atlantic. The pursuit of whales in 

 the Arctic Ocean is attended with more than ordinary risk, but this is 

 more than offset by the relative abundance of whales. A number of 

 vessels, in order to be early on the grounds, have braved the dangers 

 of an arctic winter by remaining within the arctic circle, and this 

 practice is apparently becoming more common. Two steam whaling 

 vessels that wintered at llerschel Island in 1891 had a very successful 

 season, taking 31 whales; and it was reported that 5 steamers intehded 

 to pass the following winter there. The 2 vessels mentioned went 

 farther west than any other whaler had ever gone, reaching Cape 

 Bathurst and Liverpool Bay, in longitude 128° Avest. 



THE FUR-SEAL FISHERY. 



The Bering Sea dispute has continued to be one of the leading 

 fishery topics of the west coast, and the pelagic hunting of seals by 

 American and Canadian vessels has received more than usual atten- 

 tion. In June, 1891, a temporary agreement was reached with Great 

 Britain for the X)rotectiou of seals pending the settlement of the ques- 

 tion by arbitration; by the terms of the agreement the killing of seals 

 in Bering Sea was prohibited, and the company having the lease of the 

 sealing privileges on the Pribilof Islands was permitted to take only 

 7,500 skins. On June 15, 1891, the President issued a proclamation set- 

 ting forth the terms of the agreement, the text of which was as follows: 



1. Her Majesty's Government will proliibit, until May next, seal killing in that 

 part of Bering Sea lying eastward of the line of demarcation described in article No. 

 1 of the treaty of 1867 between the United States and Russia, and will promptly use 

 its best efforts to insure the observance of this prohibition by British subjects and 

 vessels. 



2., The United States Government will prohibit seal killing for the same period in 

 the same part of Bering Sea and on the shores and islands thereof the property of 

 the United States (in excess of 7,500 to be taken on the islands for the subsistence 

 !ind care of the natives), and will promptly use its best eflbrts to insure the observ- 

 ance of this prohibition by United States citizens and vessels. 



3. Every vessel or person offending against this prohibition in the said waters of 

 Bering Sea outside of the ordinary territorial limits of the United States may be 

 seized and detained by the naval or other duly oommissioned ofiUcers of either of tlie 

 high contracting parties, but they shall be handed over as soon as practicable to the 

 authorities of tho uatiou to whicli they respectively belong, who ehivU aloue have 



